Burial vault



Jan. 26, 1932. 1 J, WELCH 1,842,437

BURIAL VAULT Filed NOV. 2l, 1930 wumtoa l 'Patented Jan. 26, 17932UNITED STATES PATENT; OFFICE Application `filed Novembengl, 1930. SerialNo. 497,086.

This invention relates to improvements in burial vaults or coffinreceptacles.`

The main object of the invention 1s to provide a bural-vault adapted tobe set in the f ground and includinga sealed coflin chamber and a sealedair chamber above the coffinv chamber, the latter being exposed to thesun and air whereby the air therein and in the casket chamber is keptdry and warm.

Another object is to provide means in both the casket and air chamberwhereby the effec- -tive surfaces of the wall or closure between thechambers are increased in sizeto greatly facilitate the warming anddrying of the air in the casket chamber, the said wall or closure beingfor this purpose provided with pyramids or projections extended upwardlyand downwardly into the air chamber and casket chamber respectively.

A further object is to provide a burlal vault of the character describedin a simple and durable form. i

The foregoing and other objects together with means whereby the same maybe carried into effect will best be understood from the followingdescription of a preferred embodiment of the invention taken inconnection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the vault. Y,

Figure 2 is a longitudinal vertical section of the vault.

Figure 3 is a vertical crosssection thereof. l Referring now moreparticularly to A the drawings the reference character 1 designates thecasket chamber comprising the receptacle 2 formed of the bottom 3,opposed ends 4 and opposed sides 5, the top of the receptacle beingopen. The receptacle is constructed of cement or the like, is waterproofand air tight, and is of such size that the'coflin will set therein witha space remaining entirely around it to permit the free circulation ofair, the said cofln for this reason being set on the raised transverseribs 6 on the bottom 3. Inwardly extending ledges or shoulders 7 areprovided on the sides 5 at some distance below their upper 'margins anda lower plate or closure 8 is seated on these shoulders to close thecasket chamber 1. After the casket (not shown) 5 has been placed in thechamber 1 and the plate Vthe latter is set upon the seal 9 placed overthe plate 8. This space is filled as shown at 13 with a sealing materialsimilar to that before described. An upper plate 14 is set wlthin theform 10 upon the sealing material 9 and is held thereby in spacedrelationship above the plate 8. A cover 15 is provided, the same havinga marginal fiat edge 16 and the center upwardly arched or convexedportion 17. A 11p or tongue 18 is provided around the vunderside ofthecover 15 and is so disposed that it will lit downward and seat in theseal or filling around the form 10 to make the joint between the coverand receptacle air and water tight. The fiat edge 16 extends beyond themargins of the receptacle 2 and contacts the same as shown, the upperedges of the receptacle being preferably covered with fresh cementbefore the cover is put in place to further seal the cover in place. Asealed air chamber 19 is thus provided between the plate 14 and cover 15and within the form 10. f

The burial vault thus formed is set in the ground with the flat edge 16of the cover 15 disposed flush with the surface of the ground tofacilitate the mowing of the grass around the vault.

The cover l5 is thus exposed to the sun and a-ir causing the air in theaii` chamber 19 to become heated and to remain dry. This warm air thenheats the air in the coln chamber 1 and causes the same to remain dryand warm at all times as will be understood. To

facilitate this warming and drying of the air inthe chamber 1 the lowerplate 8 is provided with a plurality of spaced depended pyramids orprojections 2O on its underside and the upper plate 14 is similarlyprovided with upwardly extended pyramids or projections 21. The effectlof these pyramids 2O and 21 is to increase the effective surfaces ofthe lates 8 and 14 exposed to the air in the chamrs 1 and 19 thusfacilitating the abso tion and radiation of the heat from the air camber 19 into the coiiin chamber 1.

The plates 8 and 14 are formed of cement similar to the receptacle 2 andthe cover 15 is made of marble, granite or compositions thereof, theentire vault being reinforced with rods 22 and metal fabric or mesh 23in the usual manner. The cover 15 is provided-with a depression 24adapted to receive a suitable inscribed marker or heat stone (notshown).

While I have herein set forth a certain referred embodiment of myinvention it is understood that I may vary from the same in minorstructural details so as best to construct a practical device for thepurpose intended, not departing from the spirit of the invention andwithin the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a device of the receptacle, ceptacle beneath the upper marginsthereof, a plastic filling over the to plate, an upper plate seated inthe plastic ling, and a cover mounted on the rece tacle,

2. In a device of t e kind described, a receptacle, a lower plate seatedin the receptacle beneath theupper margins thereof, a plastic fillingover the top plate, an upper plate seated in the plastic filling, and acovel` mounted on the receptacle, and means whereby the effective upperand lower surfaces of the upper and lower plates respectively areincreased.

3. In a, device of the kind described, a receptacle, a lower plateseated in the receptacle below the upper margins thereof, a plasticfilling over the lower plate, an upper plate seated on the said filling,a cover mounted over the receptacle above the said u per plate,projections extended downward rom i the underside of the lower plate andsimilar projections extended upwardly from the upper side of the upperplate.

In testimony whereof I aiix my signature. JAMES J. WELCH.

kind described, t a lower plate seated in the re-

